Automatic gas-valve.



WII'LIM O. GABBER, 'OF SOUTH BICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC GAS-VALVE.

specification of Letters Patent.

j Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Application led December 14, 1911. Serial No. 665,793.

To all 'whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. GARBER,

citizen of the United States, residing at w South Richmond, in the county of .Chesterfield and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic .Gas-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates -to automatic gas valves,'and more particularly to that type which are designed to close automatically should the flame be accidentally extinguished, or should there be a reduction in pressure so considerable as to practically extinguish the flame.

The valve, as in the case of other valves of this type, includes a thermostatic element, and the invention contemplates so locating and arranging this element with respect to the burner that the flame will not .be distorted, and the support for the thermostatic element will not be ,so located as to colleot soot from the burner flame.

A further aim of the invention is to prov-ide an automatic gas valve of the type mentioned which will be positive in its automatic closing morvement, and in which the valve itself is in direct alinement With the thermostatic element so that expansion and cont-raction of the element will act directly to open or close the valve, the employment of intermediate connections and of the usual rotary plug valve and Operating spring therefor, being obviated.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device embodying the present invention. F ig.

'2 is a Vertical' sectional view therethrough taken in a plane from front to rear. Fig. 3 is a group perspective view illustrating the valve of the device.

vice is indicated .by the numeral 1 and is interiorlythreaded at its lower end as at 2' connection with the ordinary gas OI' w braciket', or similar gas supply pipe. For a purpose `'-to be presently explained, this .burner tube is interiorly threaded at .its -upper end as at 3 and connectingaits threaded- Corresponding and like parts are referredI portions is a'bore4 which is of less diameter than the tube at either end.

The burner tube is indicated by the numeral 5 and has fitted in its upper end the usual burner tip 6, and at its lower end this burner tube is threaded onto the upstanding arm 7 of an elbow 8, which has its other arm threaded as at 9 into one side of the tube 1. This elbow has the usual gas pas-A sage 10 which communicates at one end with the bore 4 and at its other end, with theburner tube 5. A pilot tube 11 vis fitted at its lower end in an opening 12 formed in the angle of the elbow 8, and this tube extends up between the feed-tube 1 and the burner tube4 5, as shown in F igs. 1 and 2 of the drawing and serves a purpose to be presently explalned.

The feed-tube 1 is formed interiorly, at the lowei' end of its bore 4, with a valve-seat 13, against which rests the head 14 of a valve, the stem of which 'is indicated by the numeral 15 and is flattened as at 16. This stem projects up into the bore 4, and when the Valve is away from its seat, gas mayflow 'around the head 14 thereof and between the flattened sides of the stem and the wall of i the bore and out through the passage 10 to the burner tube 5. The valve 14 isnormally held to its seat 13 by means of a spring 17 which bears at its upper end against the underside of the said head and at its lower end fits in a seat 18 formed in a threaded plug 19 removably and adjustably fitted in the lower threaded end of the feed-tube 1. The feed-tube 1 isfalso formed interiorly at the upper end ofits bore 4 with a valve-seat,l 20 upon which is adapted to rest a hea'df2'1 formed at the upper end of a stem 22 w, chv Z,

is slidably fitted in the bore 4. This-he'a:

serves as a' support for the thermosta'tie'l` element, as will be presently explained, and

also serves the purpose of a valve to closev the upper end of the-bore et in a gas-tight manner when lthe valve`14. is open. t The lower end of the stem 22 rests upon the upper end'of the stem 15 of thevalve 14,,and when the ivalve 14 is in closed position, the

head 21 will be in spaced relation to the 24, and outwardly, oppositely bow'ed conthe two heacls.

necting portions 25 which eXtend' between The head 23 is formed axially' With an opening 2G, and the head 24 is interiorly threaded as at 27 and has fitted into it the base 28 of a bracket including spaced cars 29, the said base being formed with an opening 30.

The thermostatic element of the valve is indicated by the numeral 31 and is in the opening 26 in the head 23 and rests in a seat 32 formed in the head 21 and at its upper end fits into the opening 30 in the bracket base 28.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing it will be observed that the upper or discharge end of the pilot tube 11 is presented directly toward the thermostatic rod 31 and is but slightly spaced therefrom at a point substantially midway between its ends.

To provide for manual opening of the valve 14, there is mounted through the ears 29, for oscillation, the stem 33 of a fingerkey 34;, this stem' being squared between its ends and having fitted upon its squared portion a rocker 35 having a shoulder 36 .formed upon its under edge. The rocker is, of course, confined between the ears 29 and projects forwardly above the base of the bracket and bears at its forward end against the upper end of a plug 37 fitting within the opening 30 and resting upon the upper end of the thermostatic rod 31.

The operation of the valve is as follows It will be understood that normally the valve 14 is held closed by means of a spring 17, the thermostatic rod 31 being at such time in contracted condition. VVhen it is desired to light the burner, the finger-key 34 is turned so as to swing down the forward end of the rocker 35, thereby depressing the thermostatic rod 31 and the valve 1/1 through the medium of the supporting element 21 upon which the lower end of the thermostatic rod rests. Gas will then pass through an opening 38 which is formed in the plug 19, and wil flow around the valve 111 and up through the bore 4 and passage 10 into the pilot tube 11.

The gas is ignited at the discharge end of the' pilot tube and the thermostatic rod 31 is rapidly heated, and in a few seconds will expand to such degree as to press upwardly against the rocker 35 until` the shoulder 36 engages with the base of the bracket 28 and .preventsfurther upward swinging movement of the rocker and against the head 23 so as to hold the same against the sea-t 20 and hold the valve 14 in open 'sitiom The gas is then ignited at the Should lthe flame become accidentally exurner tip 6.

tinguished, or should the gas pressure be so lowered as to practically extinguish the fiame, the thermostatic rod 31 will contract, thereby allowing th'e spring 17 to force the valve 1-1 against its seat 13 and in this manner the supply of gas to the burner tube will be cut off until the valve is again manually opened.

It will be understood that the supporting element including the head 32 and stem 22 is in effect a part of the valve 14, the stem of the valve and the stem 22 of the said supporting element having their ends abutting, but being disconnected so that both elements may be removed from the feed-tube.

The plug 37 is preferably of resilient material and is split, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, whereby it will fit frictionally in the opening 30 and will consequently remain in lowered position until shoved upwardly by the expansion of the thermostatic rod 31.'

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1.,In an automatic gas valve, a feed tube provided i'nteriorlywith avalve-seat, a valve arranged within the tube and normally held against the seat, a burner tube leading from.

the feed tube, a thermostatic element arranged in juxtaposition to the burner tube and bearing against the valve and arranged, upon expansion to move the valve to open position, and a manually operable rocker` arranged 'for actuation to depress the thermostatic element and move the valve to open position.

2. In an automatic gas valve, afeed tube provided interiorly With a valve-seat,a valve arranged within the tube and normally held against the seat, a burner tube leading from the feed-tube, a support extending above the feed-tube, a thermostatic rod bearing at its lower end against the valve, a finger-key mounted at the upper end of the support for oscillation, a rocker carried by the fingerkey and arranged, when the key is turned in one direction, to bear against the rod and force the same downwardly to open the valve, the said rocker having an' abutment coperating with the support to limit its ro'cking movement in an opposite direction whereby oscillation of the rocker in such direction through the expansion of the thermostat-ic rod is limited.

3. In an automatic gas valve, a feed-tube provided interiorly With a valve seat,avalve arranged within the tube and normally held against the seat, a burner tube leading from the feed-tube, a thermostatic element arranged adjacent to the burner tube and bearing directly against the stem of the valve, a rotatable abutment for the other end of the thermostatic element, and means Whereby the said abutment may be rotated to move the thermostatic element bodily in a direction to open the valve.

4. In an automatic gas valve, a feed-tube provided interiorly with a Valve-seat,a valve arranged within the tube and normally held against the seat, a support mounted upon the feed-tube, a thermostatic element slidably mounted on the support and bearing at one end against the valve, a burner-tube leading from the feed-tube and located adjacent to the said thermostatc element, and means whereby the said thermostatic element may be slid bodily in a direction to open the valve.

5. In an automatic gas Valve, a feed-tube provided interiorly with a valVe-seat,avalve arranged Within the tube and normally held against the seat, a supportmounted upon the feed-tube, a thermostatic element slidably mounted on the support and bearing at one end against the valve, a burner-tube leading from the feed-tube and located adjacent to the said whereby the said thermostatic element may be slid bodily in a direction to' open the Valve, said means comprising an abutment mounted for oscillation upon the support and engaged by the other ends of the thermostatic element.

In testimony Whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM O. GARBER. [LJ 8.] Witnesses:

W L. ALLY, -W. L. BAUGH.

thermost-atic element, and means 

